Packaging Trash Become A Toy

Problem, how do you turn a package into a toy?  The Athens, Greek design firm Matadog had this problem when designing for a small raisins package. Their task was to put a toy into each box, their solution, make the box a toy.  Start solutions and sustainable in the process.  Read more over at GOOD.

Happy Hanukkah

The holiday season has started and first comes Hanukkah.  Enjoy this video as you light the candles this  year.  Happy Hanukkah and may the miracle of the holiday light your hearts throughout the year.

World Famous Bush Man

Today's Friday Funny is the World Famous Bush Man from San Francisco. If you have never experienced this gentleman at the Fisherman's Wharf area, put it on you list for a future visit. After doing this since the 1980's, it maybe the longest running performance art going. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

"Push To Add Drama"

Push play to enjoy drama.

Logo Analyzes By A Five Year Old

I found this over at the Brand New site_

Cincinnati, Ohio-based identity designer Adam Ladd asked his 5-year-old daughter her impressions on some popular logos — my favorite is her response to the Republican Party logo. This is both adorable and some of the best and most authentic field research out there.

This will show you the power of a logos from a 5 yr old and hopefully will brighten your Friday up.

Happy Halloween

As Halloween comes to an end, I hope you treats were plentiful and your tricks were villainous.

(image via National Park Foundation's Flickr)

Funny Animals Talking - BBC

Enjoy that it is finally Friday with this funny video by the BBC. Have a great weekend!

Typestaches

First we had Typoschnauz, now we have a Field Guide to Typestaches.

Typoschnauz

Typoschnauz is a fun little site that lets you at a typographic moustache to your photo. Add a what??? Think of it as a bracket moustache. Schnauz is swiss german for moustache, add in a clean Swiss type element and there you have it, a typoschnauz. Have fun.

Santa Needed a Drink

I guess after the week he had even Santa enjoys a nice Stella to relax. I hope your week is just as relaxing.

Tidying Up Art - Ursus Wehrli

Ever wonder how art might look if it was tidied up just a little? Enjoy this TED talk by Ursus Wehrli on how a Swiss might solve this problem in a funny and entertaining manner.

The Beatles LOVE - The Mirage Las Vegas

Late last month I had the pleasure of seeing The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage Las Vegas. This show is Vegas grand with the Cirque du Soleil troupe taking your breath away. I have loved the music of The Beatles since I was a child and seeing it put to the acrobatic feats of Cirque du Soleil makes a combination that can't be beat. The show's excitement starts with the first chord that surrounds you in an envelope and does not stop until you are breathless at the end of the show. The performers take you on a magical journey from an England at war to first love. Intermixed with amazement and moments of humor you find yourself singing along to the sounds of the 60s that The Beatles so timelessly created. Mix together some of the greatest rock songs ever created with moments that amaze equates to a night you wish you could experience weekly. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" but The Beatles LOVE will be an experience that stays with you long after you return home.

The Beatles LOVE is playing at the Mirage in Las Vegas and is one show you should not miss.

Angry Paul Rand

NOTE CHANGE OF TWITTER ACCOUNT AT BOTTOM OF POST

Paul Rand is angry and speaking from designer heaven on his twitter account. Paul Rand who was an American graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Westinghouse, and ABC, is coming back to give us designers words of advice. Angry Paul Rand rants include the likes of:

"You kids keep worrying about what tools you should use for making design. You know what I used? A pencil, a dry martini and some balls."

"You kids still use pasteups & Letraset for graphic design, right? I'd shoot myself if I had to use that unreliable Adobe shit every day."

"Sometimes, Müller-Brockmann and I would get shitfaced and design stuff *off* the grid. We were such crazy bastards back then."

"David Carson set an article in Dingbats. I once downed too many vodka gimlets and puked on a press sheet. At least mine made fucking sense."

"We had the Internet in my day, too. They called it "the yellow pages" and they delivered it right to you. Twitter was called a "telegram."

"I was making the most amazing graphic design in history when you were still fucking around with Comic Sans and a Sharpie."

The Angry Paul Rands makes frequent post and is well worth the follow on Twitter for a daily laugh. I love his historical references to design from the past. I hope someday he explains why he ripped off Egyptian Hieroglyphics for the silly IBM poster. Keep Angry Paul Rand, I will keep following and I hope you will too!

UPDATE UPDATE- Angry Paul Rand has changed to a kinder @NicePaulRand GO TO THIS TWITTER ACCOUNT NOW. Why the change, you will have to ask Paul.

Exploring a Sabbatical

One of my favorite sites, GOOD, has a wonderful article on "Why to Take a Sabbatical". I have long been in favor of taking time off as a way to recharge your creative batteries. You come back fresh perspective on life and work, new ideas that you observe and experience and these will bring new life to your work and lives. The article on GOOD discusses three types of sabbaticals: lateral, generative, and recuperative. It is an interesting short read. Now to finish up plans for my recuperative summer sabbatical (vacation).

The Amazing Facadeprinter

facadeprinter.org - three stones from Facadeprinter on Vimeo.

Printing on a wall usually comes with many difficult challenges, the Facadeprinter solve those challenges. The Facadeprinter is a fun and innovative way to communicate a message on a large scale.

The Facadeprinter is a simple, software controlled robot. It consits of a two axis turn table and an airpressure printhead. The printer shoots the artwork from a distanced position dot by dot onto the chosen area. According to this method inaccessible and also uneven surfaces can be printed on. Buildings can be displayed without costly scaffolding.

The Facadeprinter is a large scale communication tool. Print- esthetic and method are distinguishly different from conventional print- and advertising tecniques. Artworks are applied onto the walls directly, like the drawings of a `magic pen´. At present the maximum print dictance is 12 meters, the maximum print height is arround 8 meters. The shooting frequencey is up to 5 dots per second.

The Facadeprinter was designed by two product-designers, Martin Fussenegger and Michael Sebastian Haas in Germany. It has been used in several applications and shows. One interesting application is as a way to mark locations during emergencies for those seeking assistance.

I think we will be seeing more of the creative tool in the future for both artistic and informational needs.

Pr*tty Sh*tty Blog

Take a look around you on a daily basis and you will see pr*tty design and lots of sh*tty design. Capture the good and bad, add you commentary and you get the wonderful blog that looks at it all, Pr*tty Sh*tty. I came across Pr*tty Sh*tty several months ago and the examples, humor and insight keep getting better. I would recommend putting Pr*tty Sh*tty on you list of blogs to check on a regular basis and hope that if your work comes up, its Pr*tty.

Original Design Gangsta

To perk up the start of your week, enjoy this funny design rap video, the Original Design Gangsta (ODG). It is sure to make you laugh.

People of Walmart

First we had the Sexy People blog, now we can take a look at society not from past old photos but by some of the people visiting Walmart. In the days past, people would try to look good when they went out in public. They would do things like put on shoes, pants, a dress, overall, they wanted to look good, not go out in a robe or their pjs. Now, based upon these photos from the People of Walmart site, we have gone to hell in a handbag.

Oh how I miss Paris where fashion is a staple of life and if you can not afford the high end you at least try the best you can to look good. Enjoy your holiday shopping and your next trip to Walmart, take some photos for this People of Walmart site and don't look for me, I am a snob and would not be caught dead in Walmart.

Clients From Hell

Stories from hell dealing with the craziness of our profession - this sums up this website dedicated to spreading the word of the madness we all have to encounter from time to time. Check out Clients from Hell, enjoy a good laugh, submit your own story and learn a bit about some of the demands that clients request.

Classic Photos As Legos

Everyone loves Lego. So how would the world look as Legos? Take a classic photo, recreate it with Legos, then shoot it - this is the work of Mike Stimpson, Photographer of Plastic. View the creative work of Mike Stimpson at his website and at his Flickr page..